Abraham Lincoln once said, "Let our Nation reflect on the abundance of Randos, because they are totally rad." Inspired by Abe's words, I have two randos for you today.
This first one, from "sometime in the 1950s" is a swell view from a luxury Skyway gondola looking down upon the Autopia load zone, with hard-hatted NASA guys (they carry slide rules in their pockets because you just never know), and Screechy the Lonesome Iggle flying toward us for a hug. I love those old Mark I (or Mark II or Mark III or Mark IV) vehicles (those all looked essentially the same), and that Richfield billboard with the wheel-shaped space station. But what I mostly love is the views of Anaheim, just farms and farm roads and farm bugs.
Just for yucks, how about a zoom view?
Next is another undated slide, taken on what appears to be a gloomy day (or is the photo just too dark?). Guests walk from the parking lot toward the ticket booths, with Main Street Station acting as a beacon to lure them in like moths. There's a tram right in front of them, but they presumably didn't need it.
Major-
ReplyDeleteI also love the view in the 1st image for all the reasons you mention - especially the view of America Beyond the Berm. It's so hard to believe that area was ever like that - but then, here it is.
Thanks, Major.
Like pretty much everything else in Disneyland at this time, it's kind of startling to see so much bare dirt instead of lush landscaping. It looks more like the Autopia cars are driving through the Sonoran Desert.
ReplyDeleteIn the close-up, the NASA guys look more like service station guys here. What are those white things scattered around outside the berm? Looks like a cemetery with gravestones.
I count only two (easy to see) kids in the last pic. I have a theory that early Disneyland was intended mainly for adults. Case in point; Grandma, in the foreground, in her shawl and hat, surrounded by other adults. We can see some shadows, so it couldn't have been too gloomy.
Randos are some of my favorite photos; so much variety! And early photos of the Park, especially so. Thanks, Major.
Nanook, I guess most folks don’t love these photos as much as I (and you) do! I agree, driving around Anaheim today, you can hardly imagine that it used to be all farmland and orchards.
ReplyDeleteJB, photos like that first one are my favorites, when you can really feel that Disneyland was in its early years, and that it hadn’t affected Harbor and Katella too much yet. But… SOON. I can’t tell what those white things are… beehives? Did they do that back then? Admittedly that’s a lot of beehives. It’s true, so many early photos of the park show mostly adults, with a few kids along for the ride… I wish we knew the percentage of adults to kids from back then! That gloom looks like it might be burning off, which will make it a nice sunny day for those folks.